Office of Government Ethics OGE

In the wake of Watergate, the Ethics in Government Act, signed on October 26, 1978, created the Office of Government Ethics within what became the Office of Personnel Management. It became a separate independent agency in 1989. It is led by a Director appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term, longer than a presidential term, intended to give the office some independence.

OGE writes the standards of conduct for executive branch employees, oversees the ethics officials who run programs in every agency, and administers financial disclosure. Senior officials, including Cabinet members and presidential nominees, must publicly report their assets, income, and debts, and nominees sign ethics agreements, reviewed by OGE before confirmation hearings, describing how they will avoid conflicts of interest. OGE has no power to investigate or punish violations: it advises and can recommend action to agencies or refer matters to the Justice Department.

Because it relies on persuasion, OGE's influence depends heavily on the White House. Its Director Walter Shaub resigned in 2017 after public disputes with the Trump White House over the President's business holdings, and in February 2025 President Trump removed Director David Huitema before the end of his term. Supporters of presidential control say ethics officials should answer to the President, while government ethics experts warn that removing independent watchdogs weakens a check on conflicts of interest.